Can-printing machine.



L. JAMES. CAN PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1913.

1,106,712. Patented Aug. 11, 1m

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L. JAMES. CAN PRINTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 29, 1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 19%

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.L EWELLYN mmrgs, or TILSQNBURG, onreitio, CANADA, Assren'oa ro BOENS connnnsnn mm; Germany, or new Yam, it. x, a coaro'rlon or new JERSEY.

.cnnrnin'rmq MACHINE.

- specification of Letters Patent. 1 .Pam md A g, 1 1, 31914 Application filed November 29,1913. tierial No. 803,679. v

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, LLEwnLLvN J Aims, a subject. of the Kingiof Great'Britain and Ireland, residing at .Tilsonburg, in the'Provinscribe or mark, on the ends, or heads, of cylindrical cans, such, for example. as are used in storage and transportation of condensed milk, such 'dlstmguishing letters,

words, numerals, or emblems, as may be desired, and the objects of; my improvements comprise the effecting of such markings without dependence on any manipulation of the cans by theoperators, and with resulting greater speed, precision, and economy than heretofore, in other words to, for example, properly end-mark the previously manufactured, charged, sealed, and sidelabel-ed, cans, without theoperators touching them, after another machine has applied to, and pasted upon, their cylindrical sides the usual paper labels,this result of my improvements being, I believe, unprecedented.

I attain my said objects by thevmechanims illustrated in the. accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 1s anend VIGWOI' elevation of my end-marking machine, shown, for better understanding of my invention, as connected with a ell known type of machine which has just previously applied and pasted a pape label upon the cylindrical side of the can; Fig. 2 is, on enlarged scale, a side eleration of my machine viewed from the left' of Fig. 1, certain parts being shown in vertical section taken on the dotted line ta of Fig. 1, seen in the direction of the arrow traversing said line; Fig. 3 is a top view, or

plan, on more enlarged scale, showing some parts in horizontal sectlon taken on the line bb of Fig. 1; Fig. 4- is a to view, or plan,

to show more clearly the gui es for the cans, certain'other elements being omitted; Fig. 5 is, on more enlarged scale, a view, in elevation, of the end of my machine opposite to that shown in Fig; 1; F ig, 6 is a longitudinal verticalsectional view taken on the dotted line cc'0f Fig. 3 seen in the direx'ztion of the arrow traversing said line, and indicating also, by dotted lines, the positions of the guide 412, and its extension 43, these parts being between said line cc and the ob- .serveryFig. 7 isa side, perspective, view of the bent .cam disk detached; Fig. 8 isa cemtral cross section of Fig. 1 on the dotted line d-(l of the latter;:

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

- My automatic can-printing machine comprises a rectangular conduit 1, having therethrough. a downwardly extending pathway for the cans, and, co-acting with said conduit and the therewith related stops hereinafter described, an end-marking mechanism designated comprehensively by thereference numeral 2, (Fig. 1). My machine is, in this instance, supported stationarily, by any convenient means, in juxtaposition to the delivery end, A, of one of the well known machines employed to apply, and paste, a label {to the cylindrical side of the can. The cans, 3, are, as usual, automatically delivered fronrsaid labeling machine by aid of an endless belt A. which, actuated as usual, con- .tacts the sides of the cans to roll them out of the machine on the runway A. Refer-- once is thus made to a labeling machine merely to exemplify concretely the capacity of my machine to operate consecutively upon a procession of cans continually issuing from any well known source, or can-manipulating instrumentality, the said procession being automatically .diverted into'my machine by means hereinafter described,

My end-marking devices, 2, comprise an oscillatory arm 4, (Figs. 2 and 3) one end of which is rotatably supported on a pivot 5, carried by a bracket 6- secured to one side of the conduit 1. A; block, 7, carrying any desired type, or types, 7 composed preferably of-hard rubber, is, by' means of a pivot, 7 alsoecarried by said block, and journaled in said arm, carried oscillatably by the latter. 8 is an ordinary endless travelin typeinking ribbon, or tape, against which the type, 7', are impelled toink them intermediate each marking thereby of an end of each can, see Fig. 1. To so mark, or print, the arm t'and block 7 are oscillated simultaneously into the positions indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 by means, which I provide so I periphery, to bear, during part of said rotasecured to the pivot, 7 and extending slidably through a rotatable pin, 10, journaled in a bracket, 11, carried by the bracket, 6.

I To oscillate the arm, 4, as and when required, I provide a rotatory disk, 12, and means 'operatively connecting said disk with said arm as follows :-a bracket, 13, (Fig. 2), carried by the conduit, 1, carries the posts, 14, 14, (Figs. 2 and 3) in which are journaled shafts, 8 8 carrying respectively the pulleys, 8* 8 by which is earned and moved the inking tape, 8. The post, 14, (Fig. 3), carries a bracket, 15 m whlch 1s horizontally slidably mounted a. rod, 16, carrying a bracket, 17, carrying a pin, 18, which passes loosely through a slot, 19, 1n the arm, 4. The bracket, 17, also carries two rollers, and 20', (Fig. 3), between which rotate the sidesof the disk, 12, adjacent its periphery. A horizontal rotary shaft, 21, carries the disk, 12, the major part of which is disposed in-a plane inclined to the longitudinal axis of said shaft. The. shaft, 21,

also carries a ulley, 22, actuated by aid, as

usual, of a be t, 23, (Fig. 1), which opera- ;tively connects said pulley with a driven pulley, 24, located near the delivery end A of 'the' labeling machine. The construction described i such that rotation of the shaft 21causes one side of the disk 12, adjacent its tion, with gradually increasing ressure against one of the rollers, say 20,- thereby gradually approximating the type to, and

forcing it aiainst, the tape, 8, to receive a charge of in Further rotation causes the opposite ide of the disk to bear with like gradual pressure against the other roller, 20, thereby gradually withdrawing the now inked type from the tape and causin it to approximate, and bear with gradua ly increasing ressure, against the end of the can supported 1n position to receive the imprint as will be hereafter described. 'The graduated character of the type movements thus secured is of very great importance, not only as regards the resulting effective charging of the ink upon the type, but, also, particularly as regards the'perfection of the ink imprint made upon the can, the operation of the mechanism being thus closely simulative- 1 of the most skilled manual labor.

greater the'radius of the disk, within reasonable limits, say not less than 'six, nor more than twelve inches, the greater the delicacy with which theink is manipulated. Moreover, I find it preferable to construct the disk of material which is to a slight extent yielding and resilient, such, for example, as sheet steel, whereby corresponding increased yield, and resilience, is imparted to the aforesaid inking and printing pressures, thus "even more closel simulating manlpulation by the most skilled operators.

Intermediate -each inking thereby of the The type, the ink-carrying tape is advanced a step by any convenient means, as for example b aid of a ratchet gear, 25, (Fig. 2), carried y the shaft, 8 and a therewith coacting pawl, 26, carried by a bell-cranklever, 27, loosely carried by said shaft and one arm of which extends into the path of a pin, 28, carried by the rod, 16, and the other arm of which is heldnormally yieldingly retracted" by a spring, 29. A tape-inking roller, 30, (Fig. 2), saturated as usual with ink, is constantly yieldingly forced against the tape, 8,:by a retractile spring, )1, connected with the swinging frame, 32, in which iii d roller is journaled, and with the 'post,

I provide means to automatically arrest and hold, in turn, each can of the procession continually advancing from the labeling machine, 1n exactly required register with the can-marking member, or mked. type, during the impression of the latter against the end of the can by aid of the previously described mechanisms, which, without aid' and cooperation of such canarresting and holding means, would prove comparatively incapable of attaining the objects of my invention. Within the rectangular conduit-box, 1, are, adjacent opposite sides thereof, two oppositely and perpendicularly disposedguide plates, 34, 35, (Figs. 3, 4 and '6), supported adjustably, to establish with exactness boundaries of the downward pathway. of differently diametered cans, by means of therewith respectively connected guide. pins, 36, '36

slidably mounted, and threaded spindles 37 and 38 sc'iewably held, in the walls of the conduit respectively adjacent said plates. The plate, 34, carries, at its upper end, a thereto rectangularly dis osed shelf, or table, 39, (Figs. 3' and 6 to exclude cans .from the interspace between said plate and the thereto adjacent wall. The conduit, 1, is also provided with a thereby partly supported inclined table, 40, (Figs. 1, 4, 5, and

f6), constituting a downward runway for the cans -from the labeling machine, the deliver, end' of which runway connects with the t erefrom sub-disposed downward path way of the cans through said conduit,'the construction and disposltion being such that the cans roll automatically from the labelin% mach ine into the conduit. v

0 guide the cans during their descent and prevent their falling prematurely from r i the table, 40, I rovide the latter with a thereby supporte stationary guard plate,

41, andan adjustable guard rail, 42', the.

latter carrying a therefrom downwardly pro ectingextension, 43,- which passes through the conduit, 1, the said projection serving not only as a guide'for the cans dunn their descent throu h the conduit, but, a 'so, as a backing to he? d them against the graduated pressure against their ends imparted by the type, 7 while printing as hereinbefore described. Adjustability to suit cans of different lengths is imparted to the guard rail, 42, and its extension, 43, by any convenient means, as, for example, by adjusting screws, 44, and (Figs. 4,5,

and 3). To control the automatic movement of the cans through the conduit, 1,71. 6 to arrest and temporarily hold each can of the precession when and where required, 1 provide automatic stops, 46 and 47, (Figs. 3,

5 and 6). These stops consist of hor1zontally movable bars, 46'being normally disposed to prevent a can from entering the pathway of the conduit, and 47 so as to project into and bar said pathwayat a point it rods, 49, which rods. are respectively slidably horizontally carried by ordinary brackets, 48",. 49 carriedby the walls of the conduit 1, (Figs. 3, 5 and 6). Required horizontal movements are imparted to the rods ,49 by aid of cams, 50, 50, and to the rod 48 by aid of a cam, 51, carried by the shaft 21, (Figs. 3, 5 and 6). The operative faces of the earns 50, 50 are shaped and disposed'to bear directly against the ends of the rods 49 so as to force the latter backward, and thus the stop 47 out of. the path way at each rotation of the shaft, 21'. The

cam 51 bears operatively against one arm of a lever, 52, (Figs-3 and 5), pivotally supported, as at 52*, on a bracket,-52 carried by the conduit, 1. The opposite arm of said-lever contains a slot, 52, through which projects slidably a pin 48 carried by the rod. 48, (Fig. 5). The rod 48 is restored to normal position after each retrogression imparted by the cam 51 by means of. a compressed spiral spring 53, which encircles the rodand bears against one of the brackets, 48, (Fig. 3), and against a collar, 48, carried by the rod, while the rods 49 after each actuation thereof bythe earns 50, 50, are

retracted to normal position by means of retractile spiral-springs, 54, (Fig. 3), se cured at one end to a wall,55, of the conduit, -1, and at the other to a cross head,-56, which connects the outer ends of said rods (Fig,

3) and is provided with adjustable'stop-- pins, 57, hearing against the wall of the conduit whereby is limited'the extent of pull imparted by the springs '54. To prevent the weight of a can, when it falls, by gravity, through the pathway of the conduit, from 'where released by retraction of the stop, 46,

to where arrested by the stop, 47, from overcoming the pull of the springs 54, and thus disabling the stop .47 from e fl'ectively hold ing the can for printing, I provide a latch comprising a rod, 58, oscillatably supported by a pivot, 59, carried by a wall of the conduit 1. One-end of the rod is provided with a keeper, 60, which normally engages a catch, 61, on the cross head 56. The opposite end of the rod has a downward -exten-. SlOIl, 58, carrying a roller 58 disposed in the path of the operative face of the cam 50*, (Fig. 5) which by bearing thereon just prior to actuating therod 49, oscillates the bar, thus lifting the latch and releasing the cross head 56 to permit retraction of the stop 47 from its-normal projection into the 8) pathway of the conduit.

The cams, 50, 50, on the one hand, and the cam 51,-on the other, are so proportioned and set,-relatively to each other, as-to insure that the stop 46 remains in normal, closed, 85.

position during the arrestation, holding and release of a can by the sto 47 and that the stop 46 be opened only w ile the stop 47 is in its, normal position projecting into the pathway. .1 also prefer to so shape the disk 12 as to insure that the type 7 remains stationary while the stops 46 and 47 are in motion, This I accomplish by imparting to a minor'portion, 12 of the disk 12, a bend, orangle, such that said portion, while passing between the rollers 20 and 20', is disposed in a plane rectangular to the longitudinalaxis of the shaft 21 which, as aforesaid, carries said disk and the cams 50, 50 and 51. The bend 12 referred to is indicated'in Figsn7 and 8, and its disposition to the'shaft 16 in Fig. 2, the result of which,

relatively to the other co-acting devices in theorganized machine, is such as to suspend reciprocation of the rod 16, and thus movement of the type, while such bent portion of the disk is rotating between the rollers, 26, 20, and the cams and springs are efi'ecting reciprocation of the stops 46 and 47 My said expedient for suspending, as required, no

' the cam action of the disk enables the latter.

to be constructed of the desired large radius,

.and to be actuated by the same shaft as the cams 50, 50 and 51, without disturbing the rapidity, smoothness, and graduated character,- of the operation of the machine, and

results also in a great economy of otherwise required parts and instrumentalities.

The operation of my machine will be obqvious from the foregoing. The cans roll, 12o

one, in an endless rocession, from, in this-instance, a can-labeling machine, down the inclined table 40 to where met, and arrested, by the stops 46, on retraction of which, one can is permitted to drop down the L 35,

pathway of the conduit, and, by the smart return of which to normal position, thenextfollowing can is held back, while the latters predecessor is arrested, and held in required position for printing, in the pathway, by the stop 4C7. Through rotation of the disk by ister with the end of the can so held by thestop 47, whereupon the type. is impressed against that end by the graduated, and preferably yielding, movement referred to, and

thereafter, with the same desirable quality of movement, withdrawn, and reversely r0- tated and oscillated to and from the inktape, and, during a pause in said movement, the can last printed is dropped'by the stop 47 and another admitted'by the stop 46. The operation is entirely automatic, the cans requiring no handling whatever from start to finish, and its results as regards speed, perfection of printing, and non-injury to cans and contents, exceptionally satisfactory.

I do not confine myself to the recise: forms, proportions and relations 0 parts illustrated in the drawings, m invention comprising any modifications w ich, by use of equivalents, attain the same results in.

substantially the same way.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is the following, viz i -1. In a can-printing machine, a rotary shaftcarried by said shaft a bent resilient disk disposed, for the most part, in a plane inclined to, and having its bent portion disposed in a plane perpendicular to, the longitudinal axis of said shaft; a can-printing member; and means operatively connecting said disk with said member to oscillate it against and from a can.

2. In a can-printing machine, a rotary shaft; carried by said shaft a disk disposed 2for the most part obliquely and as to a segment thereof rectangularly to the longitudinal axis of said shaft; a can-printing member; and, operatively connecting sa1d disk with said member, means which actuated by said obliquely disposed portions of said disk oscillate said member an?v are by the race .51;- gularly disposed segment of said disk interrupted in so oscillating said member.

[ in a can-printing machine, a rotary ska-T carried by said shaft a vdisk disposed for L-he most part obliquely and as to a segment thereof rectangplarly to the longitudinal axis of said sha a can-printing member; adjacent said shaft a therewith arallel longitudinally slidable rod; carried y said rod elements between which are rotatable the sides of said disk adjacent to its periphcry, and means actuated by said rod to impel said can-printing member against and from a can.

at. In a can-printingl shaft; carried by said s ing a part inchned, and another part rectan lar, to the longitudinal axis of said machine, a rotary sha t; a can-printing member; and operatively connecting saiddisk with said memaft a bent disk havher means actuated by said inclined part to oscillate said member and interrupted by said rectangular part from so oscillating it.'

5. In a can-printing machine, means to hold a can having anend disposed in a pre: determined positlon; zih'ink-bearing member disposed opposite said end; intermediate said end and said ink bearing member an oscillatable arm; rotatably carried by said arm a block; carriedby said block a type; a

lever carried by said block; rotatabl carried by a stationary part of said mac e a pin having a perforation :within which is slidably disposed a portion of said lever;' and means to oscillate said arm whereby .1 said t pc is rotated, and impelled against said ink-bearing member and reversely against said end of said can. W

LLEWELLYN JAMES. Witnesses; i i

J. G. WATERS, W. Henna. 

